Finland’s Parliament has passed amendments to the Aliens Act that concern residence permits issued for employed persons. The amendments, including an extended protected period when a job ends and new notification rules for employers, will enter into force on June 11, 2025.
Protection period after employment ends
A person working in Finland with a residence permit on the basis of work will have a protection period of three or six months to find a new job if their employment relationship ends prematurely. The aim of the legislative amendment is to bind work-based residence permits more closely to employment and to improve the supervision of the permit.
If the residence permit granted on the basis of employment expires before the protection period ends and the holder has not found a new job, they must leave Finland.
Holders of a residence permit on the basis of work will have six months to find a new job if they have been issued
- a residence permit for a specialist
- a residence permit for a person working in top or middle management
- a residence permit for a specialist or manager with intra-corporate transferee permit (ICT permit)
- an EU Blue Card or
- they have held some other type of residence permit issued on the basis of employment for at least two years.
They will have three months to find a new job if, for example, they have had one of the following permits for less than two years:
- a residence permit for an employed person
- a residence permit on the basis of research completed in Finland
- a residence permit for a person with a degree completed in Finland or
- a residence permit for an athlete.
Right to work in other sectors
Before the legislative change, a residence permit for an employed person only granted the right to work in the specific sectors for which the residence permit was issued. From June 11, these residence permit holders can also apply for work in fields defined as sectors affected by national labor shortage. Currently, this includes practical nurses, nurses and process operators for the processing of metals.
Time limit for submitting employee notifications
Employers must submit an employee notification if they hire a person who comes from outside the EU/EEA countries and already has a valid residence permit and right to work.
From June 11, the notification must be submitted within 7 days using the Enter Finland online service or within 10 days on a paper form.
Submit a notification of the ending of an employment relationship
Employers must submit a notification of the ending of employment if the employment of a person living in Finland with a residence permit for an employed person ends earlier than agreed in the employment contract. The employer must submit the notification in Enter Finland for Employers within 14 days of the ending of the employment, or alternatively on a paper form.
There is no need to submit the notification in situations when the additional work performed by the employee in addition to their actual work ends but the actual employment relationship remains unchanged and the termination of the employment relationship does not affect the conditions for the residence permit. However, if a work-related residence permit has been issued on the basis of several employment relationships and even one of these ends, the notification obligation applies to the employer that has terminated the employment relationship.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.
The post Finland Updates Work-Based Residence Permits with New Rules and Protections appeared first on Erickson Immigration Group.
